


A String of Pearls

by lucybeetle



Category: Kamen Rider Ghost
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-28
Updated: 2015-12-28
Packaged: 2018-05-10 01:38:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5563990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucybeetle/pseuds/lucybeetle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Onari thinks of Akari when he sees something in the window of a client's shop.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A String of Pearls

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a friend who's been taking notes every week on Akari's jewellery. It's a shame we haven't seen the molecules in a couple of episodes ...

Mr Mizuhara Yoshiyuki owned a second-hand shop in a genteel corner of town. A would-be customer had offered to sell what he claimed to be a genuine relic belonging to a Buddhist saint. When Mizuhara dismissed this as a fraud, the man warned that trouble would follow; now, Mizuhara’s house was full of lights flickering, pipes rattling and taps turning on and off by themselves. He thought that monks would be able to investigate and if necessary perform an exorcism.

It was decided that whilst Takeru went to the house, and Narita and Shibuya asked around to find out if the man had tried to make a sale elsewhere, Onari would take a look around the shop with Akari. The assistant, whose name was Mrs Teranishi, met them at the door.

“Welcome,” she said with a bow, “You’ll be helping the boss sort out all the trouble, then?”

What little light there was inside the shop reflected off items of stock in various stages of disrepair: a battered old cabinet polished to a shine, an old mirror, a china doll’s glassy eyes. Onari could see why a Ganma might be attracted to a place like this. He’d already asked Mizuhara a lot of questions, but went over them again with Mrs Teranishi. Had she noticed anything suspicious? (No.) Had anyone brought something unusual into the shop? (Again, no.) Had there been any more strange customers?

“We had one yesterday that wasn’t wearing a watch,” she said. “My mother always told me never to trust a man who doesn’t wear a watch.” 

Onari pulled down his sleeve to cover his wrist. He didn't wear a watch either. In his experience, most monks didn't.

After several futile minutes of this kind of conversation, Akari wandered off by herself to begin looking around the shop. She didn’t like to waste time. Onari rather admired that about her.

As the sun came out from behind the clouds for a moment, that was when something in the front window display caught his eye. It was a pretty pearl choker inside a display box, and it drew his attention amongst the otherwise unimpressive array of items for sale. He could not put his finger on why. The necklace didn’t look old enough to have belonged to a historical figure, so there seemed no reason why a Ganma should take an interest in it.

“May I humbly ask where the necklace over there came from?” said Onari.

“Necklace? Oh – that one,” said Mrs Teranishi, following his gaze. “A gentleman brought us some of his wife’s jewellery after she died. She had no will, you see, and the house was in her name. _Dreadful_ state she left him in financially …” At the sight of Onari’s expression, she hesitated, “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing at all.”

“You don’t think …?” She shook her head, “It can’t be. He came by months ago – long before that other fellow. This is the last piece we haven’t sold. Surely it’s nothing to do with this business?”

“I believe you are right,” said Onari. He did not sense that a Ganma had touched the pearls. There was something else about the necklace, and that would continue to nag at him until he could guess what it was.

Akari came through the door from the back room and said “Mrs Teranishi, could I check the store inventory?”

“Certainly, my dear. By the way, you’ve lost an earring.”

Akari touched her hand to her ear and made a frustrated little noise. Onari realised in that moment why he had felt that there was something important about the necklace. Not because of a Ganma, but because Akari had a pair of pearl earrings, and the necklace would match them. Was _that_ important?

Mrs Teranishi went out to the back with Akari, leaving him alone to take a closer look at the necklace. Akari did not wear her pearl earrings every day, because she had so many different pairs; but when she did wear them, they suited her very well. They were – becoming? Ladylike? The necklace was perhaps a little excessive for every day, but she went to formal events sometimes. She’d been to Tomari Shinnosuke’s wedding recently, and to an end of term dinner for the physics department at her university. The only question was why Onari would ever consider buying her something like this. Whatever the market rate for a pearl necklace was, he was pretty sure it was more than he would be able to pay. More to the point, a monk wasn’t really supposed to buy expensive jewellery, and it wasn’t quite an appropriate gift for Akari. There was no particular occasion. 

She was not even really Onari’s friend, if he thought about it. They were both Takeru’s friends, which didn’t necessarily make them friends with each other. They were capable of being civil to each other (usually), and Akari respected Onari’s faith despite her resolute pig-headedness; but, if he were honest with himself, he wasn’t sure that she would call him a friend. She had never liked him much even when she was a child. He recalled a time when she must have been no older than nine or ten, not long after Tenkuuji Ryuu died, and Onari had first become Takeru’s full-time caretaker. Akari had refused to go home at Takeru’s bedtime, because, she insisted, he was frightened of the dark and wouldn’t sleep unless she were allowed to stay overnight with him. Takeru had tried to break up the argument and become so upset that Onari was forced to give in and let Akari stay. The memory made Onari’s throat feel very dry and tight – he had to swallow.

No, better not to think about buying her a necklace. He checked the price tag, and felt better about his decision.

The case was solved the following afternoon, when it emerged that Mizuhara had been possessed by a Ganma the whole time. After another battle, Kamen Rider Ghost had added the Tama Eyecon to his collection: the famous cat who served as a station master, now honoured as a saint.

“I guess Gramps never said the Heroic Eyecons were all _human_ heroes,” said Takeru.

He went back to the shop with Onari and Akari to say goodbye. Mizuhara thanked them profusely, and said that should they ever want a discount it could most certainly be arranged.

“There is still the matter of Mr Mizuhara’s … mysterious customer,” said Onari.

“Not any more.” Akari typed something into her smartphone, then held it up for Mizuhara to see, “Isn’t that the guy you told us about?”

Mizuhara took the phone for a closer look. After a moment he said “Yes! Yes, I’d swear that was him.”

“Convicted petty fraudster. Re-arrested three days ago. I don’t think he’ll be bothering you again.” Akari was wearing her pearl earrings today. Her smile made her whole face bright.

Takeru put one arm around each friend, “Let’s go home.”

“I will be along in just a moment,” said Onari. “I had hoped to have a word with Mrs Teranishi.”

Akari was at her usual seat in the basement when Onari went to give her her present. She had her reading glasses on and was taking notes from an immensely thick textbook. He felt proud of her, for some reason, although her achievements were entirely to her own credit.

“I wondered if Akari-kun might accept this,” he said, and handed her the box.

Akari frowned. “What is it?”

“Perhaps you would care to open it and see for yourself.”

Her eyes widened when she saw the little string of pearls, “This came from Mr Mizuhara’s shop, right?”

“Yes. After all, he was kind enough to offer us a discount on purchases.”

“But why?” she said. “It’s not like it’s my birthday or anything.”

“I simply thought it would pair nicely with your earrings,” said Onari. 

“It’s lovely. Thank you.” She smiled up at him, “Would you help me put it on? The catch is kinda small.”

He’d been right; the matching set did look very pretty together. (Akari-kun always looked pretty.)


End file.
